New Maple Leafs Defenseman Reveals the Unthinkable in First Interview Since Trade

In a bit of a surprising move, the Toronto Maple Leafs were able to turn disgruntled veteran forward Ryan Reaves into a 24-year-old top-4 defenseman in Henry Thrun, who carries RFA eligibility next summer, in a head-scratcher of a trade for San Jose.

Thrun might not pop off the page as he's accumulated 5 goals and 25 points in parts of 3 seasons but he saw a healthy amount of ice-time and has played in all situations to start his career.

In a recent interview with the Massachusetts native, Thrun dove into the details behind his trade, and perhaps more importantly, the team he grew up cheering for as a youngster.

Thrun mentioned how he was watching the movie Top Gun when he got the call from San Jose's GM Mike Grier that he had been traded to Toronto. The 24-year-old was a bit surprised, maybe because he grew up as an avid fan of the Boston Bruins.

Thrun did say that he was happy to learn that he was landing with a contending team in Toronto, but it was very clear by his additional comments that there was some initial sticker shock about his landing spot.

With a grin on his face, knowing how heated the rivalry has been for well over a decade, Thrun added that, not only was he a Bruins fan, but he looked up to defenseman Zdeno Chara, which is why he also wears #3 on his jersey.

As we all remember vividly, the Bruins had taken care of the Maple Leafs on numerous occasions during the post-season, including the first rounds in 2013, 2018, 2019, and 2024, all of which went the distance to Game 7. All series, except for the one in 2024, involved Thrun's hero, Chara.

Now a member of the Leafs, Thrun will look to earn his stripes with a strong performance during their upcoming training camp sessions. He could start with the Toronto Marlies as well, but considering his track record, he should at least have a leg up as the extra skater on the back-end for the big club.

Thrun will also become the 35th player in franchise history to wear the #3, which has been previously adorned by Dakota Mermis, John Klingberg, Travis Dermott, and Justin Holl, as well as former captain Dion Phaneuf.